


A Little McKinley Magic

by meanest_and_thinnest, was_i_in_it



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Connor roasts a homophobic lady, Disney World & Disneyland, Fluff, Gay, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Kevin is NOT CUTE, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Planet Orlando, he's tall dark and handsome, mcpriceley, really gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:41:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24458365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanest_and_thinnest/pseuds/meanest_and_thinnest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/was_i_in_it/pseuds/was_i_in_it
Summary: Connor plans an elaborate proposal at Disney World for his mans, Kev. They are really gay and honestly still act like a new couple even though Connor is freaking proposing whoops.
Relationships: Elder "Connor" McKinley/Kevin Price
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	A Little McKinley Magic

**Author's Note:**

> This short story follows a possible- and probable- series of events, meant to take place several years after the events of The Book of Mormon musical.

“Price, I think you need to calm down.”

“I absolutely do _not_ ,” I snap, pressing my hands against my thighs in an attempt to stop them from shaking.

McKinley laughs next to me, placing one hand over mine. “You’re going to have a heart attack, Kevin!” he teases. “Look at you- shaking all over like that!” 

My face heats up, and I turn away from him. “Well, if I have a heart attack and die in Disney World,” I finally choke out, “then I have a heart attack and die in Disney World. That’s just how I want to go out.”

“Yes, but I’m sure everyone on this bus would be bummed out to see that. Especially me, since I still haven’t taken you to see _Wicked_ on Broadway.”

“Oh, how sweet of you. Are you okay with me dying of a heart attack in Disney _after_ that?”

He hesitates as if thinking about it. “I suppose. I’d be a little embarrassed, though.”

I scowl at him.

He laughs again- a warm sound that makes it hard to keep a frown on my face. “Oh, I’m just teasing. I think it’s cute how excited you get here.”

My face grows hot. “I am _not_ cute,” I grumble, suppressing the unwelcome joy his comment gave me. “Don’t call me that… If anything I’m tall, dark and handsome.”

Connor responds by poking at my face and effectively squishing my cheek. “Well, I can’t argue with that, but you’re still pretty cute!” he crows. “Cute, cute, cute! Cute as can be!” 

I try to swat him away, but it is at that moment that I see _it_ come into view. My throat closes off, and, before I can think, I’ve involuntarily grabbed McKinley’s hand. 

“Wha-” he starts, then looks out the window. “Oh!” he exclaims with an exaggerated little gasp. “Is that Cinderella’s castle I see?”

My entire body is _really_ shaking now. _Heck- why did I grab Connor’s hand? Now he knows just how much I’m trembling._ But before I can really regret it, he gives my hand a little squeeze and runs his thumb reassuringly over the back of my knuckles.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice embarrassingly hoarse. “Thank you for taking me here.”

He smiles at me, and it lights up the entire bus. “I figured it was only fair, what with you giving me a tour of the whole park after Uganda.”

I can’t help but smile back at him. “The pleasure was all mine.”

...

Obviously, I never should’ve tried to “turn it off” for so long, but all those years of practice are particularly helpful today. 

I don’t think Kevin suspects that I’m hiding a ring in my bag. Or that I’m scared to death about it.

I’ve wanted to put a ring on that boy’s finger ever since I saw him strut into the Mission Hut. But I couldn’t just do it in _any_ old way. I couldn’t just take him out to some _random_ place and ask at some _random_ time.

 _No_. He deserves better than that. And I can certainly do better than that.

So I organized an entire Disney vacation just to propose to him.

It’s expensive as all _heck_ \- the fancy hotel, the nice dinners, the time in the parks. But I’m very lucky to have been the Uganda District 9 leader- I had a whole squadron of elders actually begging me to marry him already. They _actually_ donated money to this cause. I tried to refuse it, but they insisted, saying that they had to repay me for being so supportive of all of them throughout our time in Uganda.

I, of course, cried very much.

The biggest issue there is that Kevin has asked me several times how I managed to afford all of this. Because I can’t tell him that we were being financially supported by the “Let’s-Get-Connor-To-Propose” squad, I just smile mysteriously and tell him to think of it as “a little McKinley magic.” 

Now, however, I must use my years of turning it off to turn off my anxiety surrounding this evening. This is _it._ Like, _it_ it. Tonight is what I’ve been planning for for what feels like centuries now. And I will never forgive myself if I mess it up.

But… being around Kevin Price now, his face all lit up from seeing Cinderella’s castle and his hand shaking from pure excitement… it’s better than turning off any kind of lightswitch.

The bus finally stops, and he practically leaps from his seat, dragging me out behind him. “Kevin!” I exclaim, almost dropping my backpack of necessities. “You’re going to plow into some innocent child!”

He does not reply- just continues hauling me after him, and does, in fact, almost plow into an innocent child. I sigh, exasperated, and just try to keep up. _I can’t believe_ this _is the guy that stole my heart._ “I feel like I’m your mother,” I scold from behind him. “I have to watch you like you’re a little kid.”

“Isn’t that kind of your job?” he asks without turning around. “Weren’t you kind of the team mom of Uganda District 9?” 

“Yes, but I was hoping I wouldn’t have to keep-” Price veers right suddenly in an attempt to get into the shortest bag-check line, and- too late- I realize that I am being thrown into a nearby pole. It hits the side of my face with a loud clang, and I yelp.

I am about to yell at Kevin for it, but, suddenly, I realize that that was the only thing that could make him stop. He’s already at my side.

“Oh my gosh, are you all right?” he asks, sounding a little frantic and clutching at my face. 

His hands’ cradling my head almost makes me faint, but at least I can’t focus on any physical pain anymore. “J-just watch where you’re going!” I force out with a laugh. “You’re going to injure at least fifteen people at this rate!”

Price is still looking me over worriedly. “You’re okay?” he asks.

I smile at him, putting my hands over his own. “I am just fine,” I reply softly. “And I’m honestly happy to see you so happy.”

Suddenly, just behind Kevin, I see a couple staring at us from the end of one of the lines. When they realize that I’ve seen them, they quickly look away, but the damage was already done. A cold, sick feeling settles into my gut. 

“Connor?” Kevin’s voice cuts through my brief daze. He’s noticed my distraction, and his beautiful face is full of concern. He starts to turn around. “What-”

I grab his hand and straighten my spine. “It’s nothing,” I say, my voice chipper. “It’s just a pair of idiots who won’t get us into the park any faster! Let’s go!”

...

We have just stepped into Main Street USA. I can barely hold back tears. 

“You all right, Price?” Connor asks, grinning. _Curse his stupid ability to read my expression. And his stupid smile that’s prettier than all other smiles I’ve ever seen._

I clear my throat. “I’m fine,” I reply, hoping my voice isn’t too shaky. “I just… can’t feel my legs. That’s all.”

“Aww…” He keeps smiling, but his eyes soften. This nearly takes me over the edge and makes me start crying because _he really seems to care._

“Don’t look at me like that,” I tell him instead, turning away. “You knew what you were getting yourself into bringing me here… And don’t call me cute… ”

“But you _are_ cute,” McKinley replies cheerily. “And you definitely like it!”

My face gets hot again. “I definitely do not-“

“Uh oh! Is that a _lie_ I hear?” 

“Shut. Up.” I snap, horrified at letting my face get too red. Especially when I know he’s going to notice it.

He laughs and nudges my shoulder. “Come on, _cutie pie_ , we have fastpasses for Haunted Mansion to get to.”

I’m definitely noticeably blushing by now. “Don’t ever call me that again,” I grumble, taking his hand and beginning the trek towards Haunted Mansion. 

Every step we take into Magic Kingdom, however, makes it impossible to even _pretend_ to be mad. The bright, cheerful music all around me… the smell of miscellaneous sweets floating in the air… and, to top it all off, Connor’s hand in mine. I feel like I must be dreaming, walking through Disney with the prettiest boy in the world. 

_This must be exactly what my “Planet Orlando” is like. Maybe this is even better._

_..._

It seems that I plan to marry an actual child.

Kevin had a ten minute period of stunned silence, then suddenly started talking and now he won’t shut up. I’m not even entirely sure what he’s _trying_ to say right now- only that, for someone who doesn't like being called cute, he can’t stop being absolutely adorable. At this point we’re standing in line for the Haunted Mansion. After looking around for a second, I focus my attention back on Kevin, who is rattling off facts about the ride.

“There are the three hitchhiking ghosts at the end of the ride- they all have names, you know,” he’s saying now. “There’s the tall one- Ezra, then Gus is the one with the ball and chain, and Phineas is the one with the carpetbag.”

“Uh huh,” I reply, looking over him fondly. I don’t really care about anything he’s saying, but he sure does make it sound interesting.

“Oh, look.” He points emphatically at a cluster of comically decorated tombstones. “Those have the names of old Disney imagineers!”

“Cool!” _How much more could he possibly know about this ride? Is he going to run out of things to say eventually, or will he just keep going forever?_

“And-” Kevin cuts himself off as the line shuffles forward into a small, dark room. I feel his hand wrap around mine.

“Oh, spooky!” I exclaim, giving his hand a little squeeze.

To my surprise, Kevin seems to have nothing more to say. I try to look at his face, but it’s too dang dark.

“You okay, Kev?” I ask, laughing a bit.

“Of course I am!” he replies- a little too quickly.

I can’t help but chuckle. _Is he actually getting scared from this?_ “It’ll be okay, scaredy cat,” I tease, punching him lightly in the arm.

“I am _not_ scared!” he hisses. 

“You’re actually scared, aren’t you?”

“That’s- _no_ , I literally just said I wasn’t.”

“Then why are you about to break my hand?” 

He silently releases my hand, as he apparently lacks a verbal response. I can tell he’s looking away from me like the cute idiot he is.

After scooting further into the void of darkness, we enter a small room with gargoyles and paintings on the walls. Suddenly, the doors slam shut, and a booming voice begins monologuing. Kevin- who hasn’t said a word since the previous room- jolts next to me, then latches on to my hand again.

“It’s just this part,” he whispers frantically. “I just hate this part.” As the room begins to extend, he crushes my hand further.

 _Who knew I was dating such a wimp?_ “You are the most ridiculous person I’ve ever met,” I tell him bluntly.

“That _might_ be true, but you _do_ love me.”

I sigh heavily and stroke his arm with my free hand. “Sometimes.”

The voice around us booms its final statement: “ _Of course, there’s always my way…_ ” When the lights shut off completely around us, Kevin makes an uncomfortable sound and huddles closer to me. There’s a loud screech- I first assume it comes from Kevin before realizing that it’s from the room itself- and, near the ceiling, the lights flicker to reveal what appears to be a hanging body. 

After the lights come back up, he visibly relaxes. We are moved into the next room, and, eventually, we make it onto the actual ride. 

Kevin is a bit off for the entire thing, as his smile becomes more forced and he seems to cringe into me. “Are you sure you even like this ride?” I ask him as we descend into the haunted graveyard.

“Of course!” he scoffs at me. “It’s a classic!” As he says so, a spooky little thing jumps out of a nearby coffin, and he flinches.

“Alrighty, then,” I say, patting his hand. “Whatever you say.”

“Don’t ‘whatever you say’ me!” he snaps furiously, snatching his hand away. “It’s a _classic_ , you uncultured swine!”

“Woah, woah, woah!” I put my hands up in surrender. “Didn’t mean to hit a nerve there.”

As we boogie into the next room, three “ghosts” appear in front of us. “Oh! I know the names of these three!” I exclaim, trying to remember what Kevin was blabbing about earlier. “That tall one is Ezra, right?”

Price smiles proudly. “Yeah!”

Encouraged by this, I point at the other two. “Then that’s Phillis there with the ball and chain-”

Kevin is no longer proud of me. “ _No,_ ” he says sternly. “That’s _not_ right.”

“Oh, darn… Then I guess Phillis-”

“His name is _not_ Phillis.”

“I’m doing my _best_ , Price. Then the one with the ball and chain-”

“Just… you can stop there. That’s good. You don’t have to embarrass yourself for me.”

I shove his shoulder. _I can’t believe I’m going to propose to this guy_.

...

It’s been a couple hours since we got off Haunted Mansion. We’ve been wandering around aimlessly for a bit, just taking in the sights (and I’m not talking about myself… or Connor, I guess), and Connor suddenly gasps.

“O-M-Gosh, Kevin! _Look_!”

He sprints into a nearby shop, dragging me in behind him. Before I can ask what is happening, I see what caught his eye.

“Oh! But which ones do I choose?” Connor looks frantically back and forth between rainbow Mickey ears and blindingly pink, sparkly ones.

“I don’t know about you,” I reply, my eyes locking onto the rainbow ears, “but I think I need to add the rainbow ones to my repertoire.”

“Okay… okay.” He ponders for a moment. “In that case, I’ll _have_ to choose the pink ones. I don’t want us to seem too matchy-matchy.”

“Alright, then, Mr. I-don’t-want-to-match-with-my-boyfriend-cause-I’m-too-classy-for-that. Go ahead and burn everyone’s retinas with those things.”

“If their retinas burn, then they aren’t worthy of looking.” He plucks them off the wall and immediately fits them over his head.

 _Could he be any more adorable?_ “Those ears do suit you… what with that vest you have that you look so good in.”

Connor’s cheeks become nearly as pink as his new ears, and he smiles sweetly at me. “Aww… was that a genuine compliment from you? I think I’m gonna tear up.”

“I guess…” I shrug, grabbing the rainbow ears. “But you better not wear them at the same time, or else someone will actually go blind… And I don’t want it to be me.”

We go and pay at the counter, then leave the shop hand-in-hand. Upon walking towards the castle, my eyes land on a worker holding a camera.

I stop in my tracks. “Connor, we _have_ to get a picture! It’s tradition!”

He laughs, giving my hand a squeeze. “Alright, Kev! If you say so!”

“Oh, come on. You think it’s a _cute_ idea.”

“Of course I do! I never said I didn’t!”

I half-jog towards the photographer, and, after asking for a picture, we pose in front of the castle. Connor wraps an arm around me. I can’t help but laugh as my hat begins to slide off my head, and I put my arm around his waist. I feel his lips graze my cheek, prompting more laughter. “One more,” the photographer says.

“Pick me up,” Connor whispers to me.

“What?”

“ _Pick me up!_ It’ll look cute!”

As much as I am against looking cute, I’ll do it for him. I bend down and lift him up bridal-style, and he laughs, putting a hand on my chest and looking up into my face.

_Oh, man, why is he so pretty-_

“Alright! That’s it!” The photographer puts his camera down. I nearly drop Connor on the bricks beneath us. “These turned out really nice, you two!”

McKinley pulls out his card and allows the man to save our pictures to it. He seems to almost strut back to me. “Those are gonna be some _fantastic_ pictures, Kevin! So glad I have a boyfriend with such strong arms!”

I feel my face heat up, but I smirk back at him. “I know. I am rather impressive, aren’t I?”

“Oh, alright. Don’t get _too_ full of yourself. You’re lucky that I’m able to put up with all your nonsense.”

“You know you love it.”

Connor moves closer to me. “I suppose I do,” he says, putting his arms around me and smiling.

“Yeah? Well then why don’t we test true love’s kiss?”

I start to lean in as Connor laughs, closing his eyes and following suit. Then, out of nowhere, we are interrupted by a woman materializing next to us and clearing her throat. We turn, confused as to whether she is aiming her aggressive cough towards us or not.

“Excuse me,” she says, her voice condescendingly sweet, “could you not do that here?”

“S-sorry?” I sputter, adjusting my stance to face her better.

“There are children present, and it would have a bad influence on them. Even some of _us_ don’t need to see that.”

I feel my stomach sink. _This is exactly the kind of stuff we can’t get rid of. No matter where we go, we can’t get away from this. Even at the happiest place on Earth, we can’t get away-_

Connor pulls his arms back towards himself and lightly touches the back of his hand to my chest, halting my spiraling thoughts. I look at him and see that his face has gone completely stern- like the team mom all of District 9 knew him to be. I blink, startled.

Elder McKinley has stepped into the ring.

...

No one is going to ruin this day for me. Not for me, and _especially_ not for my man.

I force myself to match her condescending smile. “I’m sorry,” I say, my voice chipper, “but I think I likely misheard you. What was that?”

She seems surprised- as does Kevin next to me- but she doesn’t back down. “I _really_ don’t think you should be doing such things in public.”

“What things?” I ask, still cheery. “Could you describe them for me?”

I’m starting to wear her down. “Well, I would really rather _not_ ,” she replies, her smile dropping. “It’s just not right, what you two are doing together. It’s not _natural_ , and it’s not what the Lord would want.”

“Oh? So you’re worried about what the Lord would want?” I haven’t stopped smiling. I’m gonna break this woman. “In that case, I’ll pray for you.”

She visibly recoils. “What did you just say to me?”

“I’ll pray for you!” I nod earnestly. “It seems as though that’s what you and your family needs most.”

She’s definitely not smiling anymore. “How _dare_ you suggest-”

“You see, just a few years back, I completed a mission in Uganda with sweet Kevin here.” I wrap my arm around his shoulder, and he kind of stumbles closer to my side. “We spent two years spreading the word of Christ to the fine souls there. And so, we’ll pray for you.”

“You…” She seems to be sputtering now. “You couldn’t have- how dare you lie about being a man of Christ- you all aren’t-”

“Matthew 7. ‘Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgement you give.’” I watch triumphantly as her resolve begins to crumble. “We’ll pray for you and your family, so that you may finally see God’s light. Christ is the only one who is allowed to judge us- who are you to do so?”

“I…” She shakes her head. “How dare you try repeating biblical quotes to me?” she snaps, though she’s beginning to sound more frantic. “How dare you try to claim that I don’t know the ways of God? I-”

“Ma’am, now, please. You don’t have to get so upset,” I tell her gently, more than pleased to see the tables turn. “You and your family came here to enjoy yourselves, didn’t you? We all came here to just have fun with the ones we love. So how about you return to that instead of ruining not only your family’s time here, but me and my boyfriend’s time? How about you return to your family and enjoy being in the happiest place on Earth.” I beam at her. “Be comforted by the fact that Christ is watching over you. ‘When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are in the service of your God.’ Mosiah 2:17.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, I grab Kevin’s hand and turn the opposite direction. As we walk away, I turn over my shoulder and smile. “Have a lovely day!” I call happily. “God bless!”

As I face forward again, I see Kevin staring at me, wide-eyed. “Connor,” he sputters out after a few moments of silence, “did I ever tell you that I’m completely in love with you?”

I shrug, still beaming. “I spent two years doing exactly two things: Spreading the word of Christ and protecting my elders at all costs. It’s only right that I did that again today!”

...

Everything following Connor’s roast session was simply magical.

The rest of the day included a ride on Splash Mountain- on which Connor wanted us to pose for the photo, but I was less inclined due to the terror inflicted upon me by the drop- as well as Space Mountain and Pirates of the Carribean. We also met Mickey, who I was pleased to find was not _actually_ Satan, and hopped on the Seven Dwarves Mine Train, which enabled me to tell Connor about my identity as the eighth dwarf: Sexy. He was not as impressed as I was.

We are now dining at a classy little restaurant called the Diamond Horseshoe and recounting the day's events over the immense portions of food.

“I can’t believe you dropped your Mickey ice cream and made me get another one for you,” Connor says, glaring at me. “After all I’ve done.”

“Well, it’s not my fault you’re insisting on paying for everything!” I reply. “And I couldn’t just _go without_ a Mickey ice cream!”

“Well, it isn’t _my_ fault that you’re a clumsy oaf!”

“I _tripped_!” I huff. “And I already told you that I’m not Clumsy- I’m _Sexy_!”

“That wasn’t original earlier, and it isn’t original now.”

“Whatever.” I look off dramatically into the distance, pretending to be hurt. “I can see that you clearly cannot appreciate me _or_ my incredible sense of humor.”

“Oh, how sad.” He rests his elbows on the table and places his head on top of his hands. “Tell me, _dearest_ \- how can I make it up to you?”

I mirror his pose and lock eyes with him. “You can make it up to me tonight when I show you a whole new world~”

His face shifts to a dramaticized frown, but I can see his cheeks become pink. “Oh my gosh, Kevin, why are you like this...”

“Come on, you know you love it.”

He sighs. “Unfortunately… ” 

“You know what _I_ liked?” I add, grinning a little. “I liked seeing you tell that woman off earlier. _That_ was good.”

Connor chuckles. “Well, _somebody_ had to put her into her place! Someone had to teach her that she was being a _jerk_.”

“Of course! It was just great seeing you do it… Stepping back into that powerful mission leader mind of yours-”

He puts a spoonful of potatoes in his mouth and chews thoughtfully before swallowing. “I just don’t know why anyone has to be- _like that_ ,” he says, curling his lip a little. “I mean, even when _we_ believed those things before, we weren’t _obnoxious_ about it. We never _walked up_ to couples in public and _told them to their face_ to stop being gay. It’s just… so… rude.”

I start to lose the smile on my face. “Yeah… it is… The fact that we are finally able to be open about our identities and be proud, and people like that just have to intervene… all the time… I don’t understand…” I stop myself before I get too overwhelmed in my thoughts.

McKinley looks back at me, and, in his face, I see the district leader who was there to support all of us when the Church wouldn’t. “I don’t either,” he replies softly, “but… we have each other now.” He grabs my hand over the table. “You don’t have to worry about those types of people because you will always have me- and everyone else!- to support you.”

He’s doing that thing where he suddenly acts all sweet and makes me feel like I’m gonna cry for no reason. “Thanks, Connor.”

We sit in silence for a second, looking at each other sweetly, when Connor clears his throat. “Well,” he says, his voice lighthearted again, “I don’t mean to change the subject, but aren’t the fireworks starting here in a bit? We should-”

I check my watch and immediately jump out of my chair in a panic. “Oh, crap… We have to get good spots out there before it starts!”

Connor laughs at me and puts a hand on my arm. “Goodness, Kev! We still have an hour and a half!”

Reluctantly, I sit back down in my chair. “People will be getting down by the castle to see it early,” I grumble. “We need to be sure to get there on time.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” he says with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll get good seats no matter what. In the meantime, enjoy your dinner that your _lovely_ boyfriend is paying for!”

...

It’s almost time. And I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more terrified.

We’re sitting on the curb in front of the castle. Since leaving the restaurant, I managed to slip the ring from my backpack to my pocket without dropping it, and I’m trying my best to quit touching it repeatedly to make sure it hasn’t vanished. As Kevin sought out some decent seats for the show, I tapped a nearby photographer on the shoulder and told her my plans in a rushed whisper- if we don’t get some _cute_ pictures of this, I’ll riot. I just hope I’ll riot with Kevin as my fiance.

_Oh my gosh. O-M-Gosh. This is about to happen. This is really about to happen-_

I try my hardest not to appear anxious in front of Kevin. He’s so wrapped up in his excitement over the fireworks that- lucky for me- I don’t think he’s paying that much attention. 

“It’s gonna be so amazing, Connor,” he’s saying now. “I know- last time, we didn’t get a chance to see them. But you’re gonna be _so_ impressed now. It’s so cool.”

I force what I hope is a normal-looking smile. “I’m at the edge of my seat, Price.” For maybe the fifth time, I become aware of my hand uncontrollably reaching towards my pocket, and I put it down on the concrete next to me. My palms feel absolutely damp.

_Why am I so terrified? I shouldn’t be. I love him more than anything, and I think he loves me more than anything. So why can’t I stop shaking?_

Suddenly, a voice echoes over the park, announcing the start of the show. I jolt. “It’s starting!” Kevin exclaims, his hand latching onto my arm. I glance over at him and see that his eyes are locked on the castle, with the biggest smile spread across his face. My heart melts seeing him so happy. _I love him. I love him so much. All I want is to make him happy._

As the firework show progresses, I can’t help but think back to our mission. When I first saw him in the Mission Hut, all professional and ready to do “something incredible” for the Ugandans. I took one look at him and immediately found myself trying to turn it off, prompting my big tap number. Even so, when he claimed he wasn’t having gay thoughts, I felt disappointed… and doubtful. 

Then it all unraveled after that. All of my years of suppression didn’t stand a chance against him. I think about the feeling of his hand on my arm and remember the first time he held my face- the first time any boy my age had dared get that close to me. All I could think about in that moment was how close his lips were, how easy it would be to lean forward and kiss him… just before he practically dropped me in his panic to get transferred.

Then… when I suddenly felt bold enough to just flirt _a little_ , to _ask_ if I’d been in his Hell dream… When he didn’t say no, I felt so pleased with myself- more pleased than I thought I should’ve been.

I think I first realized that I was _really_ in love with him after facing the Mission President- when he not only told us to stay, but he _swore the President out_. I remember looking at him, his hair still wild from his breakdown at the Kafe, as he told us that we were all Latter-Day Saints because we loved each other. At that moment, I felt the fears and repressions I’d carried for the previous eight years lift- just a little, but enough for me to notice. The immense relief I felt then… it _was_ something incredible.

And I remember looking at this man, this odd, self-absorbed guy, who had brought me and all of my elders so much joy… and I thought, _You know what? I think I’m in love with him_.

Then everything _afterwards_. All of the struggles we faced- the letters from our family, from the Church- and how we tackled them together. How he finally broke through to me and made me realize that _I was loved too_.

My throat begins to clench up, but I try to push the feeling away. _No_. I need to be able to say everything next. I’ve been trying to plan out a whole speech in my head as the fireworks crashed around us. 

_Kevin Price, you make me the happiest person on Earth-_

_BANG!_ goes a firework. _BANG BANG!_

_Kevin, I am the luckiest man alive because I know you-_

_BANG BANG BANG!_ The fireworks seem to be crescendoing. _BANG! BANG BANG BANG BANG!_

It’s spectacular, but my heart goes still as I realize what time it is. The finale.

 _It’s now or never_. 

My brain has reached a weird state of calm- like I’ve exceeded panic and just gone into some odd void beyond it. I’m going to do it. I’m going to ask the love of my life to marry me.

I open my mouth and try to say “Kevin,” but my voice is lost underneath a series of firework explosions. He doesn’t hear it at all, entranced by the show as he is. 

_He won’t be able to hear me. He won’t be able to hear any of it. I can’t say my speech. Should I wait..?_

No. I’d never forgive myself. Kevin Price deserves the best for his marriage proposal. He deserves the most spectacular, extra, magic-filled moment to kick off the rest of his life.

And I’m not some sad, repressed teenager anymore- _no_. I’m Connor McKinley, the tap-dancing, glitter-loving homosexual who can and _will_ do whatever it takes to make the ones he loves happy.

I am more than able to deliver. And I will.

Taking one final deep breath, I reach over and tap him on the shoulder. Kevin turns to face me, and I see the lights of the fireworks reflected in his eyes- his beautiful, _incredible_ eyes. Suddenly, I can’t help but smile. My right hand slips into my pocket, and, without breaking eye contact, I get down onto one knee and pull out the ring in front of me.

“Kevin Price,” I say, not caring that no one can hear, “will you marry me?”

...

Oh my God.

_Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God._

“Oh my God,” I say, my words completely buried underneath the fireworks.

My hands fly up over my mouth. Is this real life? The prettiest boy in the world is kneeling in front of me holding a ring. He looks like he might already be crying. I might already be crying- heck, I _am_ crying. I can hardly see him through all of the tears in my eyes, but, still, he’s kneeling there, holding out that ring.

All I can do is nod. 

He’s laughing now- I can just barely hear the sound as the fireworks begin to die down. I wipe the tears away from my eyes, and he- very gently- takes my hand and slips the ring over my finger. _Oh my God._

I reach towards him and grab the sides of his face. Without another second of hesitation, I pull him to me and plant my lips on his. He’s physically trembling- _like he was afraid I’d actually say NO-_ and seems to be laughing and crying as I kiss him.

Joy- pure joy- rushes through me. I pull away, and, grabbing him by the waist, I lift him up into the air and spin around for a second. The fireworks display a final few bursts of color around us, then the crowd cheers enthusiastically.

As Connor’s feet touch the ground I pull him close again. Finally, I’m able to choke out between tears, “Yes… Oh my God, yes!” 

I’m living in my Planet Orlando.

...

I don’t know how much time has passed since the proposal. It doesn’t matter.

After the crowds began to dissipate, we found an empty bench and just sat. Neither of us have said a word for a very long time. We’ve just been sitting here, Kevin’s head resting on my shoulder, our hands intertwined, staring at Cinderella’s castle.

I rub the ring on his finger and feel another happy tear run down my face. I don’t remember starting to cry, but it seems that neither of us have quite stopped. 

“I love you so much,” I say softly, breaking the silence. “Do you know that?”

He laughs. “I’d sure hope so. Otherwise, I’m not sure what this ring is for.” There’s a pause. “I love you too,” he adds, his voice gentle and wobbling a little. “So much.”

I don’t know if I’ve ever smiled this much before- not even in my missionary days. I lean my head back into the bench and sigh contentedly, shutting my eyes. 

_I could stay here forever. If I could stay on this bench at Disney World with the love of my life leaning on my shoulder forever, I’d be happy_. 

“...excuse me?” comes a timid voice. Reluctantly, I open my eyes to see a Disney employee approaching us. “I’m sorry, sirs,” she says- and, to her credit, she _looks_ genuinely sorry, “but the park is now closing.”

Kevin slowly lifts his head, and we stand up together, refusing to let go of each other’s hand. We make our walk to the exit as slow as we possibly can, but we still get there all too soon.

“Thank you,” Kevin says suddenly as we step into the line for the monorail. I turn towards him to see that he’s staring at me, eyes still full of tears. “Thank you for… everything about today,” he continues, his voice breaking mid-sentence. “For bringing me to my favorite place in the whole world. For making me the happiest person in the whole world. I…” He swallows, blinking hard as if trying to stop his crying. “Thank you so much.”

I put a hand against his cheek and kiss him quickly. “Thank _you_ ,” I murmur, “for teaching me how to love myself. I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.”

Kevin Price smiles, and he leans towards me and kisses me again. “The pleasure was all mine.”


End file.
